Friday, May 16, 2014

What’s the world’s most expensive city for a pint of beer? How about a pair of jeans? Or a date?

Sadly for French beer quaffers, Swiss fashionistas, and romantically-inclined Brits—the answers are Paris, Zurich, and London.

Deutsche Bank has compared the price of everything, everywhere (OK, not quite), so you don’t have to. And for a third year in a row, the priciest country in the world is Australia (that’s of the 19 countries included in the survey).

If you’re looking for the lowest prices overall, head to India. A weaker rupee has helped it remain the least expensive major economy despite persistently high inflation. Among developed countries, the U.S. is easiest on the wallet. Brazil is costly by emerging-world standards.

But the overall rankings mask some sharp differences for individual products. A day’s car rental in China costs $31.90, a mere 26% of the price in the U.S. But Levi’s jeans, Adidas trainers, or an iPhone 5 are all cheaper in the States.

Moscow’s five-star hotel rooms are ruinous—at $905.60 a night, more than double the New York equivalent—and it’s the costliest city for a weekend getaway. But public transport in the Russian capital is a snip.

The survey also tracks the cost of living in major cities. Tokyo, by far the most expensive back in 2001, is now cheaper than a number of cities including Melbourne, Geneva, Oslo and Caracas.

Zurich deserves another mention for the eye-watering cost of its hairdressers—at $60.47, a haircut there is 15 times pricier than in Mumbai. Indian cities are also the cheapest for a date.

The widest disparities are in the cost of basic health insurance, with nowhere else on earth remotely close to U.S. prices. Australia is in second place at 34% of the U.S. figure. In the U.K. its 21%. India, Indonesia, and the Philippines are the cheapest at just 1%.

The price of a date in London includes cabs, burgers, drinks, and a trip to the movies. Cheapskates could plump for a long walk along the river instead. Just don’t get too ambitious about buying a riverfront apartment.

What’s
the world’s most expensive city for a pint of beer? How about a pair of jeans?
Or a date?

Sadly for French beer quaffers, Swiss
fashionistas, and romantically-inclined Brits—the answers are Paris, Zurich,
and London.

Deutsche BankDBK.XE -0.45% has compared the
price of everything, everywhere (OK, not quite), so you don’t have to. And for
a third year in a row, the priciest country in the world is Australia (that’s
of the 19 countries included in the survey).

If you’re looking for the lowest prices
overall, head to India. A weaker rupee has helped it remain the least expensive
major economy despite persistently high inflation. Among developed countries,
the U.S. is easiest on the wallet. Brazil is costly by emerging-world
standards.

But the overall rankings mask some sharp
differences for individual products. A day’s car rental in China costs $31.90,
a mere 26% of the price in the U.S. But Levi’s jeans, Adidas trainers, or an
iPhone 5 are all cheaper in the States.

Moscow’s five-star hotel rooms are ruinous—at
$905.60 a night, more than double the New York equivalent—and it’s the
costliest city for a weekend getaway. But public transport in the Russian
capital is a snip.

The survey also tracks the cost of living in
major cities. Tokyo, by far the most expensive back in 2001, is now cheaper
than a number of cities including Melbourne, Geneva, Oslo and Caracas.

Zurich deserves another mention for the
eye-watering cost of its hairdressers—at $60.47, a haircut there is 15 times
pricier than in Mumbai. Indian cities are also the cheapest for a date.

The widest disparities are in the cost of
basic health insurance, with nowhere else on earth remotely close to U.S.
prices. Australia is in second place at 34% of the U.S. figure. In the U.K. its
21%. India, Indonesia, and the Philippines are the cheapest at just 1%.

The price of a date in London includes cabs,
burgers, drinks, and a trip to the movies. Cheapskates could plump for a long
walk along the river instead. Just don’t get too ambitious about buying a
riverfront apartment.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

I AM TRAVELLING WITH MY HUSBAND AND TWO YOUNG GIRLS TO GUANGZHOU, LONDON,
MANCHESTER AND BERLIN. THERE ARE SO MANY APPS FOR TRAVEL I FEEL OVERWHELMED. IN
YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE BEST APP THAT IS SIMPLE AND QUICK TO USE WITH MAPS,
THINGS TO DO, SUCH AS GALLERIES AND POSSIBLY CHILD-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES. ALSO
WHAT MUST I TURN OFF TO AVOID GLOBAL ROAMING CHARGES? T. LAKE, BILGOLA

I use City Maps 2Go, which accesses
thousands of city and regional maps that you can download for use in offline
mode. It locates your position, lets you search for addresses and locates ATMs,
restaurants, points of interest, including galleries, museums and
child-friendly activities. You can stick pins into the map, which is helpful to
find your way back to a particular shop or restaurant. City Maps 2Go is
available for Apple ($3.79) and Android (free) platforms. Another option is
Pocket Earth, however, it is available only for Apple, also at $3.79. To avoid
data roaming charges turn off the data feature on your phone. On an iPhone, tap
"Settings" and turn Cellular to "off". On most Android
phones, find "Settings", tap "More Settings", tap
"Mobile networks" and set Data roaming to "off".

I AM A 62-YEAR-OLD FEMALE AND I WILL BE TRAVELLING ALONE TO JAPAN IN
OCTOBER. COULD YOU RECOMMEND A GOOD PLACE TO STAY IN TOKYO? I AM NOT INTERESTED
IN NIGHTLIFE, JUST GOOD, CHEAP RESTAURANTS, INTERESTING SHOPS, MUSEUMS,
GALLERIES AND BEAUTIFUL PARKS. HAPPY TO SPEND AROUND $200 A NIGHT. A WORKMATE
RECOMMENDED UENO.J. MCLEOD, WAMBERAL

The Ueno Touganeya Hotel
(tougane-h.com) might be a good fit. The hotel is just a two-minute walk from
Keisei Ueno Station, on the direct line from Narita. Rooms are small - just 12
square metres, which is not unusual for the Japanese capital - but comfortable
enough for one. The hotel gets a robust international clientele, the reviews on
Tripadvisor are good and the management responds, always a pleasing sign.

You're in easy reach of shopping
and dining. Ueno Park and the Tokyo National Museum are right on your doorstep
and you have easy access to Asakusa, Akihabara and Ginza. Room rate is around
$80 a night.

Another possibility just slightly
to the north is Ryokan Sawanoya (sawanoya.com), a small, friendly and
traditional family-operated hotel in the historic Yanaka precinct, with
excellent reviews.

You'll be sleeping on futons and
leaving your shoes at the entrance and the owner is an outstanding host with a
big English-speaking clientele. The closest station is Nippori, about a
10-minute walk. A room with bathroom is about $110.

WE ARE FLYING SINGAPORE AIRLINES FROM LONDON TO SINGAPORE, WHERE WE HAVE
A SEVEN-HOUR STOPOVER TO CONNECT WITH A QATAR AIRWAYS FLIGHT TO DENPASAR. THE
AIRLINES DON'T HAVE AN INTERLINE AGREEMENT SO WE CAN'T CHECK OUR LUGGAGE. WE
HAVE BOOKED A ROOM AT THE AMBASSADOR TRANSIT HOTEL IN CHANGI AND BEEN
INSTRUCTED TO COLLECT OUR LUGGAGE FROM LOST AND FOUND BEFORE CHECK IN FOR
DENPASAR. WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LOGISTICS. R. EVANS, PYMBLE

Qatar Airways does not have an
early check-in service that would allow you to get your luggage and check it in
for the flight to Denpasar before going to your hotel. In such cases it is
standard procedure for the hotel to arrange for your check-in luggage to be
stored at the baggage services counter, until you are ready to pass through
immigration, collect your luggage and go to the check-in desk for your Denpasar
flight. The only other alternative would be to collect your luggage and spend
your layover time at a hotel such as the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Hotel,
which is connected to Terminal 3. Since you already have the booking at the
Ambassador Transit Hotel, and given the firm assurances Changi Airport has
given me, I'd say you can rest easy with your original booking.

CONVERSATION

OVER TO YOU . . .

The question was:

Have you had success seeking insurance cover for a pre-existing medical
condition? Share your story.

According to E. Sweet, "My
husband suffers asthma, which is usually covered as a pre-existing medical
condition, but often not if you've been hospitalised for it in the past six to
12 months. We took a trip to Europe in September last year, and two weeks
beforehand, he was hospitalised. We no longer met the eligibility criteria with
CoverMore but had success with Webjet's travel insurance. My advice is to shop
around and read the fine print. Be absolutely honest. My husband became sick
again in London and it gave us peace of mind to know he could be treated
because he was covered."

G. Morgan writes, "I have cover from my ANZ Visa credit
card. They require an application each trip, because I had a heart bypass. That
costs $75. The card fee is $89 p.a. I regard the cover as good."

From M. and J. Forster, "We
have a couple of pre-existing conditions. We asked about travel insurance at
Medibank Private, our private health cover provider, and had no problems."

S. Painting (aged 70) writes,
"I have pre-existing medical conditions and I have comprehensive travel
insurance with CoverMore. I have not had any problems with them at all. "

Next question: Have travel apps for
phones and tablets made you a more enlightened traveller, or do you now spend
too much time looking at the screen? Send a response to
tripologist@fairfaxmedia.com.au. The best response will win a Lonely Planet
guidebook.

Friday, May 2, 2014

To properly
impress, celebrate, or indulge - and we mean once-in-a-lifetime properly -
you'll need to push the fine-dining boat out a fair bit further than usual.
Here are our recommendations and tips.

Many
of the world's finest dining experiences require more than deep pockets. A
certain level of ingenuity and persistence are necessary to garner the “impossible
to get reservation”. Intensive research, some local knowledge and foreign
language skills can also help to open doors to Michelin-star restaurants'
little-known private rooms and to members-only clubs. Some equally special
experiences merely require travel to exotic, faraway places.

Here,
you'll find a handful of unique dining destinations, hidden rooms and places of
pilgrimage,that only those in the know, know about.

Noma,
Copenhagen

Claims
to be the most difficult restaurant in the world in which to secure a
reservation. On the sixth day of the month, every month, reservations open for
tables three months in advance. Allegedly more than 20,000 emails flood Noma's
computer system on that day. One way around the issue is to book Noma's private
dining room, located above the restaurant's main dining room and next door to
the prep kitchen and culinary "lab". The long, private space
overlooks Copenhagen's waterfront warehouses and a new pedestrian footbridge
that links the dockside with the city.

London's
older clubs, like Annabel's, on Mayfair's Berkeley Square, has been welcoming
members since 1963. Established as a private member's club, Annabel's elegant
restaurant is complete with Morrocan-style ceiling and its own starlit dance
floor.

Jiro
Ono is the 86-year-old chef and owner of this three-star subterranean sushi bar
in Gina. Consisting of only seven seats, all of which face the bar, it affords
up-close views of Jiro at work. This restaurant is a place of pilgrimage for
sushi aficionados. The ¥30,000 per person ($330) 20-course menu of sashimi,
sushi and uni (fresh sea urchin) can be matched with sake. The whole experience
is over in an hour, but to secure a seat you need a Japanese local (perhaps
your hotel concierge) to make the reservation.

Taillevent,
Paris

One
of Paris' grand dining institutions, Taillevent was awarded its firstMichelin
star in 1948 and held three stars for 34 years. Housed in amansion, formerly
the residence of the Duc de Morny, in Paris' 9th Arrondissement, Taillevent has
two private dining rooms – the Guimet, where the Duc de Morny received
Napoleon, and the Saturne, the Duc's bedroom, decorated with Louis XVI
panelling. Chef Alain Soliveres offers a choice of four menus, starting at
€120–230 ($180–$340).

Longitude
131, Uluru

At
dusk, as the desert colours begin to work their magic, a table for two is set
on a private sand dune overlooking Uluru and Kata Tjuta national park. As the
light changes and rolls over the ancient rock formations, the sun gradually
sets, giving way to a dazzling night sky. A billion stars twinkle gently above,
the desert is quiet and dinner is served.

Hutong, Hong
Kong

On
the 28th floor of 1 Peking Road, elevator doors open to reveal glamorous
Michelin-star Hutong. Dimly lit to take full advantage of floor-to-ceiling
views across the harbour and the city's famous light show, Hutong is wildly
romantic. And the private rooms. are even more so. Its northern Chinese dishes
are fiery and beautifully presented, especially the signature soft shell crab
served with deep-fried chillies.

Kee Club,
Shanghai

The
sister club to Hong Kong's legendary private members' Kee Club, this newer,
Shanghai outpost permits non-member visitors to its restaurant. Housed in two
grand 1920s villas, it is also home to an impressive art collection, and offers
four private dining rooms.

1.The key Asia
Pacific markets are Thailand, Bali, Japan, Australia, China and London. Hong
Kong investors are very savvy London investors. The historical link with
Britain (the holding of british national overseas BNO passports) with the high
chance of family connections in the UK, are key driving factors.

2.Unlike
Western consumers, fresh air, food and healthy space etc can often be more
important than sun sea and sand. Focus on promoting the things Chinese like to
do when travelling – proximity to shops and restaurants may be more important
than a private beach…

3.Trophy homes
are also important. However this is now a lot more low key, and tends to be
displayed far less publicly.

4.Immigration
specialists – especially if
perceived as independent – can be useful. Chinese HNW individuals often look to
secure immigration status in other countries (EU, US) to have a passport with
more flexibility for travel etc.

5.You don’t
necessarily need huge marketing budgets, but Chinese investors like to see a
commitment to the market and need reassurances that their money is being wisely
invested.

6.Don’t forget
they will probably not even be able to read your website (or Google your
company) in English. Translate!

7.There are a
number of websites and a few magazines targeting Chinese investors, but this is
no where near as mature a market as, say, Europe or US.

8.You need to
think about a realistic approach. There is no point in placing an ad in a
magazine without thinking it through and expecting the business to start
coming.

9.Don’t get
involved with how the Chinese will get their money out of China, they will know
how.

10.
Often property investment for HNW individuals is conducted through third
parties rather than directly with the individual. This can be tricky and hard
sometimes to know how real the opportunity is.

CRUISE from Hong Kong to Sydney with stops in Vietnam,
Singapore and the Top End aboard the 1990-guest Sun Princess. The package
starts with a flight to Hong Kong and a night at the Citadines Ashley Hotel,
followed by the 17-night cruise visiting Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City,
Singapore, Darwin and Port Douglas before finishing in Sydney. The package
departs on October 11 and is priced from $2499 a person, twin share.

APT will introduce a newly refurbished Russian river cruise
ship next year, which it promises is the most luxurious vessel to grace
Russia’s waterways, with features such as five dining options and a pool with
two hot tubs. APT is offering river cruises aboard the Anastasia as part of
several itineraries for 2015, including the 14-day Russian Waterways from
Moscow to St Petersburg via the Volga, Svir and Neva rivers. Priced from $7795
a person, twin share, highlights include sightseeing in Moscow and St
Petersburg, visits to the Golden Ring cities of Uglich and Yaroslavl, as well
as Goritsy, and lakes Onega and Ladoga.

FEEL like a winner by getting health and fitness tips on a
fun cruise with The Biggest Loser coach Shannan Ponton. Cruises on Carnival
Spirit this winter will have Ponton on board helping with workouts and
suggesting healthy meal options. Cruise to New Caledonia and Vanuatu with
Ponton from $979 a person, twin share, on a nine-night cruise departing Sydney
on July 23, or on an eight-night cruise to New Caledonia departing Sydney on
August 12, priced from $909 a person, twin share.

ATLANTIC TRIP

NEW York, London, Paris and 5-star luxury in between feature
on an escorted transatlantic cruise aboard the Queen Mary 2. Priced from $8500
a person, twin share, this 17-day trip departs September 24 and includes air
travel to New York and return from Paris, a seven-night cruise aboard the QM2,
three nights in New York, two nights in London, three nights in Paris, dinner
and show at the Moulin Rouge in Paris and sightseeing tours in all three
cities. The trip is hosted by TV personality Tim Webster.

BIG AND BEAUTIFUL

PRINCESS Cruises will base a record five ships in Australia
next year, with the 2600-guest Golden Princess debuting down under as the
biggest ship ever to have Melbourne as its home port. Its five-month season
over 2015-16 will include holidays to New Zealand, the South Pacific and
Tasmania, with fares starting from $1849 a person, twin share, for a 13-night
New Zealand cruise. More than half of the 108,000-tonne ship’s staterooms have
private balconies and it has four swimming pools, 10 restaurants and cafes and
a spa.